Both sides of the Pacific are getting new themed cafes with attached merch shops from the video game developer of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
Casey Baseel
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Casey Baseel spent his formative years staring in frustration at un-subtitled Japanese TV programming shown on Southern California’s international channel. Taking matters into his own hands, he moved to Tokyo to study the language, then found work in Yokohama a decade ago teaching, translating, and marketing hotels he can’t afford to stay in. When not participating in the eternal cycle of exercising to burn the calories form his love of Japanese food, Casey scours used comic and game shops for forgotten classics, drags his wife around the country in a quest to visit all its castles, sings karaoke not nearly as well as he thinks he does, and counts the days until the summertime bars open on Enoshima Beach.
Posted by Casey Baseel (Page 17)
![Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/hk-1-1.jpg?w=640 "Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]")
![Japanese convenience store brings rice balls back to 100 yen – Is this deal worth it?[Taste test]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/hl-9.jpg?w=640 "Japanese convenience store brings rice balls back to 100 yen – Is this deal worth it?[Taste test]")
As onigiri prices continue to rise everywhere else, Lawson Store 100 stays true to its name.
We pit the convenience store challenger against Tokyo’s favorite maker of Japan’s beloved octopus dumplings.
![Tokyo’s city hall changes dress code, workers now allowed to wear shorts[Videos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/ts-1.jpg?w=640 "Tokyo’s city hall changes dress code, workers now allowed to wear shorts[Videos]")
Final Fantasy XIV VR experience will give you the chance to prove you’re the kweh-kist Chocobo jockey around.
Anime will premier this summer and is the first made specifically for the Nagoya-area theme park.
Who’d have guessed there was a centuries-old snack shop too just a quick stroll away from one of downtown’s busiest rail hubs?
![Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/hn-2.jpg?w=640 "Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]")
![New Totoro carabiner pouches are ready to clip/tag along with you on all your adventures[Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/tp-0.jpg?w=640 "New Totoro carabiner pouches are ready to clip/tag along with you on all your adventures[Photos]")
Two Totoros, and one other Studio Ghibli character, are cute, fuzzy, and useful in new accessory lineup.
![Studio Ghibli croquettes not to eat, but to keep your stuff in, going on sale in Japan[Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/cp-0.jpg?w=640 "Studio Ghibli croquettes not to eat, but to keep your stuff in, going on sale in Japan[Photos]")
This part of Japan gets so much snow you have to wait until spring to see it, but the wait is over!
MOST POPULAR
Today
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Ohaw? Ruibe? Pocche? While traveling in Japan’s north, we try Ainu cuisine for the first time
Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program returns after six years with free tours and festival experiences
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
Wait, some Shinkansen trains already have private booths that only cost 1,500 yen for an hour?
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
German woman rescued from Mt. Fuji after suffering altitude sickness symptoms, hiking to peak anyway
The Japanese government is ending its Cool Japan Fund program
Weekly
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad- Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
- Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records- Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Japan’s Rabbit Island in danger of becoming Boar Island, tourists asked to follow feeding rules
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Stay at a hotel with a bed for your plushie in Japan
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Monthly
- 12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards- 7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it- Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
German woman rescued from Mt. Fuji after suffering altitude sickness symptoms, hiking to peak anyway
The Japanese government is ending its Cool Japan Fund program
Masturbatory aid maker Tenga releases officially licensed anime versions in Japan and U.S.
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
KFC Japan unveils new Tsukimi collection that takes moon-viewing to extreme levels
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Pokémon and Polaroid reveal collaboration with adorable Pikachu and Eeveelution camera and film
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October
Ninja theme park suddenly closes in Japan, shadow warriors undone by shady real estate deals
-
